QoL suggestions..

QoL suggestions..

HUD feedback functions

Back to GC gameplay.. big sale recently!Maybe someone will remember what i modded back then for GC2 expansions -- XWorlds packs (X-Com races, Planets, Fleets, etc)... so take what i'm suggesting below in proper context please.

The generic UI/HUD structure would require various QoL assets & custom components to offer us relatively important feedback functions;

1) Map Pins and Events Reminders (Crisis, Planning +++) .. either straight on the galaxy or into the shortcut Viewer/Box as interactive "Icons" with search/define/list functionalities, etc. That's basicly "Rally Point" system of custom gimmicks that helps control normal conditions.

2) Current Game Setup Summary (Simply everything ++) .. mimics the pre-game settings and should help recall whatever options we previously selected for our current "Save" cycle. I often forget how/which many variable details only to realize what's happening (or NOT!) when i have soooo few inhabitable planets (RARE instead of COMMON). Many more aspects could be exploited within that top-menu pickerbox. Similar to what [VICTORY] does for gameplay conditions & how that sort of feedback system can make or break a good experience & our optimal choices.

That's just it for now. I've been experimenting with the overall features for about a week now and thus, i might find other stuff to share with Devs (even talented Modders) but the above two "requests" should be considered priorities, IMHO.

PS; And yes i've been exploring the possibility to port some X-Com (factions, A-Liens) mod devices.

Let's continue on this suggestion thread with some recent conclusions on other "aspects".

3) TIME victory ... no matter what i try in Galactic settings, the default values are always stuck at 1000. It honestly doesn't make sense to me that we wouldn't have a strict option where these values could be manually entered. 250 or 500 seem reasonable under various conditions & we simply should be able to manage any related gameplay situations according to such intentional limit(s). Other games allow for this, so should GC3.

4) Benevolant / Pragmatic / Malevolant ... Ideal-ogical-ly we should get a quick but still direct summary of current states when getting each random popups (events or otherwise) that can offer us their TRIO of choices. I'm hoping for very simple feedback HUD combo-strings like this. Even using Icons & Data could be enough.

70 > 411524

Seventy is the next predicted Unlocking value(s) if & when taken into context. The colored triplet is obvious.. that's what we have in bank for each types! We'll just have to do the maths to pre-select the optimal bullet pick for rushing that 41 to 66 if the bonus happens to be 25 - for example. I could foresee a slick transparency overlay with some cool big fonts anywhere in these UI gimmicks. Do you?

5) PIRATES & their mysteriously hidden BASES ... help us please! They are currently much too hard to detect or guess. Even regular events don't even provide a hint on the location of their "ShipYards".

6) Similar reasoning here with Multiple EVENTS & CRISIS situations ... no HUD dispatch to the location(s) at all -- except for some un-clickable Notifications that should (also) be used for this very purpose. Not even a rational way to at least put THE "Rally-Point" marker. Proof being i've never ever seen these cool Monsters of yours (that you worked sooooo hard to create!) or/and thus, managed to send a proper fleet after them in due time!! Sadly.

While i still have my mind focused on this direct set of HUD components.

7) Right & Left Hands should cooperate ... EVERY single time i need to hire a new Citizen, i nearly always have the reflex to check out how the current pool is being managed. Back and forth multi-clicking rapidly becomes quite annoying. Sooooo.. what if we DO have access to rational facts right there and then --- instead of being left-out in hiding?

A few more wise tabs could even supply us with OTHER important aspects -- at the right time and in the right place!

Not sure if some UI sizing restrictions would interfere with that wish of mine but i'm fairly sure your staff can handle any necessary re-design steps. Assuming you share that vision for hybrid elements that could (or must) work as they should.

8a) Left side; Too many candidates to scan through when trying to seek the facts. The added comments should suffice to grasp what i mean by extra features for that key HUD panel.

8b) Right side; As much as i like seeing a spinning globe there, it is filling a precious area where relatively important details could just be processed while we are visiting. Nothing superfluous -- if a Shipyard orbits, Ship/Fleet stats +more as need be. At the bottom, a "mimic box" that gives focus to the area surrounding that planet as a swift reminder via context visuals. Zoom-In/Out & any other controls you'd want to exploit --- or just a quick (temporary) snapshot of the place.

In terms of UI capacities there might be one indirect way to offer similar "visuals" through some opening full transparency UI-Gate to the map layer which is always there (as in underneath) anyway. By hooking that (newly observable) bottom right section with a self-re-locating GUI position. The current state bothers to push the area in the MIDDLE of the screen already. Re-calibrate this swap & voila -- you've got a reality view. Thus.. pouffff -- no more needs to have any extra controls or coded functions -- just for that gimmick.

Somewhat simplistic.. yet, the interactive ability to scan without having to exit that screen is worth every split second decisions we must take while still there, IMHO.

9) Something relatively important when players need to seek out any details of strategy elements. While we are Zoomed-Out at nearly maximum, the various Icons are cluttered enough as to NOT getting detected most often.

A generic function/option that could let any (or even just one) given types gain focus would be quite helpful.

The current Mini-Map already has a slick column of shortcuts to the right... putting a new panel host to the left (or wherever you'd prefer) and providing various optional Icons with specific targets, is certainly worth considering very seriously.

Case-in-point.. i was just searching that HUGE galaxy to check if there was any remaining Precusor Relics to grab. Duh.. my eyes were heavily squinting for sure after awhile. Another aspect to this sort of feature is that WE should get to decide whatever must become our priorities under special conditions or gameplay preference. Multiple indirect temporary layers for visual purposes alone should go a long way towards rationally getting the facts right there and then.

10) DIPLOMACY hinted with Arrows rather than simply dotted connections as shown in the image below. We can always have From/To/Mutual relations with others.Soooooo.. right now -- i have a trade route with Tywom & Mu'kay has one with me. Thus the actual direction(s) are indicated as per mutual status with or without anyone while only DOTS currently offer a generic guess of something happening between such "events".

11. During long games where I'm (shockingly) at peace with the AI players, it will often be the case that treaties will expire and there isn't a cue which tells me that I can renew them.

12. Sometimes when I'm browsing the tech tree I wonder 'why is this going to take so long?' and it would be helpful to indicate things like: high base research cost for that tech, low base research output. low research spending. This will remind me to look into those things.

13. The description or behaviour of the Sentry order is incorrect. It currently reactivates the ship or fleet when any foreign unit moves into range, instead of any enemy, by which I assume an enemy is someone that you're at war with.

14. The AI players seem to ignore the presence of the Peacekeepers when deciding to go to war. In the late stages of the game, Peacekeepers don't seem to have much of an effect on the well-armed empires.

15. I might get a popup about the Dread Lords being re-awakened, but there isn't any indication of what happens to them after I make my choice.

16. After successfully resolving a crisis, I don't seem to get a crisis manager to add to my government. Ever.

17. The Precursor relics are apparently defended by 'Pirate Attackers' but those enemies don't look like any pirates I ever saw.

18. Things like Birthing Subsidies or Military Subsidies still appear on the tech tree but can't be used as social projects (possibly because of mechanics changes in expansions).

19. The reward from Ship Graveyards can scale up technologically depending on how far on you are in the game, but the pirates defending them don't.

20. Some AI players complain about my military buildup without taking into account the other (AI) players who already have a considerable military buildup. Indeed, they will later open a channel and warn me that another player has amassed a large military.

16. After successfully resolving a crisis, I don't seem to get a crisis manager to add to my government. Ever.

Crisis managers are only awarded for certain outcomes of certain crises. I just managed to get my first one. All of the options for dealing with crises and which award crisis managers are listed here: http://wiki.galciv.com/index.php/Crises

Each of the points you mention certainly are legitimate concerns that should be addressed by SD staff/designers. Nevertheless, we just can't seem to stir enough of their attention here (so far).. they must be too busy planning the next expansion. Which wouldn't (or shouldn't) stop any sort of various fixes suggested almost everywhere (else or not!).

I honestly believe QoL recommendations (latest of mine or from anyone over the past three years) need formal & yet still official consideration(s).

As i go along my own gameplay analysis (while trying to create a very complex Mod) -- some stuff could be'come important or less so for sure. Glad you shared thoughts.. we need all of it & then some more, AFAIC.

Cross fingers.. someone at SD will react inbetween or even before the next big update.

21) Let us pick the sample Ship Class during coloring phase in the related Civilization designer option. As of now we have a drop-down list of available fleets and yet, the only "live" ships to check out are Surveys. Sometimes, i just want to verify how other core types would appear with my current set of colors/surfaces/materials while i am trying to determine how the whole fleet should fit visually & within a rational thematic principle. Maybe simple button shortcuts of their strategic Icons would be enough to select anything.